The Mirror Reflects Darkly
by Walyen
Summary: Lupin and the gang set their sights on a huge pearl but meet with some unexpected competition


Lupin III  
  
The Mirror Reflects Darkly  
  
"YEEHA" shouted Lupin, holding up a picture of a gigantic black pearl, "38 inches in diameter! Net worth, one hundred forty-five mil!"  
"Damn that must have been one freakin huge clam," Jigen mused looking at the picture Lupin was passing around.  
"Its good that you finally found us a job Lupin," Goemon said sitting cross-legged on the floor of the safe house they had set up. It had been at least 5 months since they had a really nice job land in their lap, it had mostly been bank robberies and jewelry store heists.  
"C'mon guys! This will be the one to get us back in the game!" Lupin shouted happily, "Its been so long since we've pulled off a good heist I'm afraid I'm gonna forget how!"  
"I'm with ya there Lupin," Jigen said tipping back his hat, "And its been too long since we gave pops a run for his money."  
"Where may I ask is Fujiko?" Goemon added.  
"How the hell should I know? Oh it doesn't matter she'll be along as soon as she sees the picture of that thing." Lupin said. "Anyway down to business! You see the museum they're holding it is in Manhattan in a basement with 5-foot titanium walls. Its three floors deep starting with the off exhibit storage, the security level next and then the vault and all their valuables at the bottom. It's a perfect fortress for us to break into to get us back together and make us filthy stinking rich!"  
Meanwhile back at Interpol Zenigata was receiving his orders from his superior.  
"Look Zenigata," said the superior, "I don't need to tell you the importance of the security of this national treasure. We simply can not let it fall into the hands of that filthy Lupin."  
"Of course I understand! This'll be the perfect chance to catch that bastard!" Zenigata shouted at his superior holding up a pair of handcuffs.  
"Please detective there's no need to shout," said the superior, "Now you must also understand that a lot of other thieves worldwide are out to get this pearl. That's why we will have the help of the Americans FBI, Zenigata meet Agent Samuel."  
In stepped a tallish man in a black trench coat with a black wide brimmed hat.  
"I work alone!" they both shouted turning their backs to each other.  
"Please gentlemen I ask that you just try to get along to capture Lupin and his gang or any other scoundrels that will try to steal the pearl."  
"Humph! I suppose ill try to get along with this blockhead." Zenigata said.  
"Ha! You'll just be getting in my way!" shouted Samuel. They stormed off to the airport yelling at each other all the way down the hallway.  
"So this thing is really as big as you say it is Lupin?" asked Fujiko.  
"All that and more baby!" said Lupin with a broad smile. Lupin and his gang were speeding towards Manhattan making their plans to break into the Museum.  
"Alright folks listen up! Your brilliant leader has come up with a genius plan that's gonna get us in and out in no time at all. Were gonna take stock of the cameras during the day, slip in under the cover of darkness, take out the guard level, open up the vault and jet off in our boat with the pearl, sell it on the black market to the highest bidder and make a cool one hundred forty-five million before sunrise," Said Lupin.  
"Well I guess since we don't have a brilliant leader to come up with a genius plan were going to have to go with that one" smirked Jigen.  
"Ha Ha very funny Jigen," said Lupin.  
"Hey Lupin, it appears we have others with the same idea" Goemon said Another speedboat was rapidly approaching the dock from the opposite direction.  
"Nonsense," Said Lupin, "they're probably just some tourists." At the dock as they began to unload their boat they could see the people in the other boat unloading as well. There was a young man with spiky blond hair wearing black jeans and a gray hooded sweatshirt, another man with long dark brown hair wearing cargo pants and a white polo shirt. Still in the boat was a young lady with short red hair wearing kaki pants and a red cut off tank top. Also in the boat was a man with long blond hair wearing a red renaissance style lace up shirt and matching red pants with a long rapier at his side.  
"Odd lot for tourists," said Goemon.  
"Hmmm they sure are suspicious," said Jigen  
"You guys assume way too much," said Lupin, "c'mon lets get to the museum before it closes."  
Later at the museum Lupin and Fujiko were in one of their brilliant disguises, scouting out the cameras.  
"Hey I think we know those two," Lupin said pointing at a man with a beard and spiky hair and a young lady with short dark brown hair.  
"I think you're right Lupin," Fujiko said.  
"Hmm I wonder what they're here for in such poorly made disguises," Lupin caught eyes with the man and quickly looked away, "if they didn't look suspicious before they sure look like it now."  
Later that night Lupin and his gang were sneaking into the museum. They came to door on the roof of the museum. The door was already cut wide open and the pieces lay around the doorway.  
"This was cut by a very precise blade," observed Goemon.  
"Well it looks like this pearl is a little more popular than I thought! Alright now we've got a party on our hands!" Lupin said happily. In the security office Zenigata was pacing back and forth across the monitors. He knew that Lupin and his gang were going to try something and he didn't need that darn FBI agent there at all.  
"Ha there they are," said Samuel.  
"What! You've spotted Lupin?!" shouted Zenigata shoving Samuel to the side and staring at the monitors.  
"What are you talking about?" said Samuel, "this is a perfect target for Scott and his gang. I thought that's why they sent you to back me up! Who the heck is Lupin"  
"But Lupin and his thieves will be here any moment! And who is Scott?!" said Zenigata.  
"Wait," said Samuel "from what you say it looks like we have two gangs on our hands tonight."  
"I don't care about your small potatoes crooks! I'll get you Lupin!" shouted Zenigata.  
Meanwhile on the first level of the museum, a conflict of a very different sort was taking place, as Lupin and his gang had split into their sections and were starting to take the security level. Lupin was sneaking around the hallways when he saw a flash of yellow spikes out of the corner of his eye. Turning around he saw the same man in the gray sweatshirt standing at the door of the guard station planting something on the door.  
"Hey you there what the hell do you think you're doing there pal?" Lupin called out pointing his gun at the strange man. The man started dropping his gun and as he searched around for it Lupin called "alright buddy reach for the sky!"  
The man slowly stood up and turned around. "Hey c'mon man I don't want any trouble I'm just tryin to get a nice little present for a sweet woman in my life."  
"Well ain't that noble" said Lupin "but that sweet little lady is just gonna have to go home sad because that pretty little pearl is already spoken for!"  
"I don't think so, cause once Scott gets his eyes on a prize they're fixed!" Scott said kicking his pistol up into his hand and running off into another hall calling back "I wouldn't worry about gramps! That shocker on the doorknob aughta hold him for a good while!"  
"Ha!" said Lupin into the walkie-talkie he had connected to the others, "careful these guys aren't any run of the mill amateurs!"  
"You aren't kiddin!" said Jigen from the security officer's quarters, pinned down by one of the members of Scott's group.  
"You're a pretty good shot, but no match for Jeff!" Jeff shouted from behind an overturned table.  
"Pretty confident about your abilities eh? Ill just have to humble you then" Jigen shouted back firing off a few more rounds.  
Meanwhile Fujiko and Niko met up, but they simply had a short chat, exchanged names and perfumes and went about their business.  
In the vault room however a very different meeting was taking place. As Goemon walked into the vault room he saw the man in the red shirt already there.  
"You! You are the man that cut through the door!" Said Goemon.  
"Ah ha! That I am," said the man, "I am Christoph a fencer under the honor of the knights, and I am afraid I cannot let you pass! En-garde!" he shouted as he unsheathed his rapier.  
"Bah," said Goemon "no westerner could possibly compare to the skill of an iga ninja!"  
The two rushed at each other and swords flashed. The two crashed at each other numerous times but neither one made any headway.  
"I speak the truth when I say I have never fought such a skilled opponent" Goemon said, sweat dripping down his brow.  
"Indeed you are quite skilled as well," Christoph said as he readied for another attack. But before he could do so Scott ran in with Lupin hot on his heels. Then Jeff fell out of a vent in the ceiling and fired several times at the vent as Jigen fell out as well. Lupin, Jigen, and Goemon faced off with their counterpart on the other side.  
"Alright then hold up a minute," said Lupin, "I feel like I'm looking into a mirror here!"  
"The feeling is mutual," said Scott.  
"And I believe its safe to assume that were after the same prize, right?" Asked Lupin.  
"Right again," said said Scott, shrugging his shoulders.  
"So maybe we can come to some agreement here, yeah?" Lupin asked again, "we help each other and both take fifty percent of the haul, it's the only gentlemanly way to settle this."  
Scott looked at Jeff and Christoph, they both nodded, Scott turned around saying "you've got a deal Mr.. what's your name?"  
"Why I am amazed you don't recognize me! I'm the world famous Lupin the third! With my good friends Jigen and Goemon." Said Lupin  
"I've never met a fellow who can shoot as good as I can," Jigen said.  
"Well the key is diligent practice, and a little luck," Jeff said.  
"We have met," said Goemon.  
"I have always thought that you can never properly know a person without fighting them," Christoph snickered.  
"Alright now that the pleasantries are out of the way, let's get to this door shall we?" said Lupin.  
"Right!" Goemon and Christoph said in tandem and with a blazing flash of steel the giant steel door fell apart.  
"Not a problem," said Goemon as he and Christoph sheathed their swords.  
But when they looked in the door all they could find was a silk pillow with a note on it. The note read "Dear boys, as soon as you're done beating up on each other come back to the docks and we'll get out of here." The note was signed with two lipstick marks.  
"That Fujiko never ceases to amaze me. What a woman," Lupin sighed.  
"Haha! Niko is probably with her, there isn't a safe in the world she can't crack." Scott laughed.  
Suddenly there was a shout at the door behind them. Zenigata and Samuel were crammed in the doorway behind them.  
"Pops!" shouted Lupin.  
"Gramps!" Shouted Scott  
"Haha! Now that's a freaky coincidence!" said Jigen.  
"Who woulda guessed Pops had a twin?" Lupin laughed, "anyway let's get out of here"  
"I'm on it," said Jeff pulling out a grappling hook and shot it though the vent, "going up?" he said with a smile. All six of them climbed the rope and disappeared though the vent as the two detectives shouted back at them.  
"Hey were never going to catch them if we keep getting in each others way!" Samuel shouted, "so why don't we team up for a change!"  
"I hate to admit it but your right!" said Zenigata, "we can team up only for now, then we go our separate ways!"  
"Suits me fine!" said Samuel. They got themselves loose and ran up the stairs after the two gangs. Back at the boats Lupin and Scott were saying their goodbyes, and they were holding the pearl together.  
"It's been a real treat working alongside you guys," said Lupin, "but I'm afraid we must get going."  
"It really has been a blast," said Scott.  
"You owe me a rematch under better circumstances upon our next meeting Mr. Christoph," said Goemon bowing.  
"Indeed," said making a flourished bow.  
"Right right, now about our little prize here," said Lupin pulling the pearl towards himself.  
"Don't worry I'll send you a check as soon as it sells," Scott smiled pulling the pearl back.  
"No really I must insist on you allowing me to sell it." Lupin said pulling the pearl again. Fujiko and Niko slapped their foreheads and the others laughed. Suddenly there was a shout.  
"Drop it you punks!" Zenigata shouted from across the dock running at them with a pair of handcuffs.  
"Do it and we may go easy on you!" shouted Samuel.  
"Aw great they teamed up," Lupin said with disdain.  
"Yeah so gimme this thing so we can run!" said Scott.  
"Nothin doin this little beauty's mine!" Lupin said back.  
"Hey we got here first anyway. whoops!" Scott said as he slipped backwards. The pearl shot up into the air and flew over the water landing several feet off with a loud splash. All of them gasped and Lupin yelled, "Now that was your fault!"  
"Hey if you had just given the damn thing to me!" Scott shouted back. The continued to argue as Zenigata and Samuel drew ever closer.  
"Excuse me guys but I would suggest we leave about now," Jigen said.  
"I would have to be inclined to agree," said Christoph jumping in their groups boat.  
"Alright this will have to wait till next time," Lupin said jumping in behind the wheel.  
"Yeah, this isn't over!" shouted Scott back as his boat sped off.  
"Well at least we had fun," said Lupin with a smile.  
"Yeah but were still piss poor," said Jigen.  
"That beautiful jewel all gone," Sighed Fujiko unhappily.  
"I will train with renewed strength until the day I meet that swordsman again." Goemon said.  
"Yeah yeah it will be a barrel of monkeys when we meet them again, but as of right now I'm starved," Lupin said, "so lets get some dinner!" So they sped off towards a nice dinner spot.  
Back at Interpol Zenigata and Samuel were parting company.  
"I can't believe they got away again," Zenigata said.  
"Yeah but we were darn close this time," said Samuel, "maybe we can work together again sometime."  
"I suppose that wouldn't be too bad" said Zenigata shaking Samuel's hand, "we make a pretty good team."  
"Next time then?" asked Samuel.  
"Next time," said Zenigata. 


End file.
